Tip of the Week

This weeks tip is simple...The tip is that it never hurts to ask (especially when it comes to questions about saving money). So speak up! Ask questions! Don't go home, look at your receipt and think, "Oh, I wish I had asked about that while I was still at the store." A customer came through my checkout line last week with a few dented cans and asked if there was any sort of discount taken off for dented cans. I wasn't sure but I told him I could ask. It pays to ask these types of questions. . .primarily, because (as many of us know) economic times are tough so if you don't mind a few dented cans in your cupboard it may just be an easy way to save money. And, of course, this tip doesn't just apply to dented cans at the grocery store. I mentioned before that I used to work at a book store. The book store where I used to work had a standard 10% discount for customers buying damaged merchandise. They didn't advertise this it was just store policy. I learned this one day when a customer came up to pay for a book she wanted to purchase. She handed me the book and pointed out that it was damaged. She showed me the damage and asked if there were any other copies of the book in the store. It turned out that was the only copy of the book we had in the store so she asked if she could have a discount. I asked the store manager and he came up and hit a key on the register that took 10% off the book. Voila! This customer would have paid full price if she hadn't asked for the discount. So don't be afraid to ask. . . the worst someone can say is "no" and then you are no worse off then when you started and if they say yes it was a fairly easy way to save yourself some green. I also went to another local grocery store and asked if they offered discount on dented cans. The cashier at the counter told me their grocery store generally doesn't offer a discount for dented cans and they would rather just send any damaged products (like dented cans) back because they receive store credit for them. But he told me that this grocery store does have a section of the store where they have discontinued merchandise and he told me those items are always discounted. Your grocery store may have something similar. And, of course, this tip doesn't just apply to questions about dented cans or damaged merchandise--don't hesitate to ask questions like if the store will accept competitor's coupons or the store's policy on taking expired coupons (for example, Bed, Bath & Beyond takes expired store coupons that they send out in mail). Well, I think you get the idea. And my dear, frugal, thrifty shopper, of course, I am not advocating buying damaged products that may be contaminated or could cause you to become ill (any product with a broken safety seal, for example) just for the sake of saving a few cents. . . that just wouldn't be worth it, would it? And of course each store has its own policies and procedures so I have just mentioned some of my own personal experiences here.

So, to sum it up. . . there are lots of ways to save money that the store may not advertise so think outside the box and ask lots of questions (if you have time--or just send your questions to me and I'll to come up with an answer for you). Remember and educated consumer is a better shopper.

Take care and happy shopping!